October 28, 2012

Ski Cam Man Upgrade

Three years ago I noticed a young company (GoPro) was selling cameras which could be worn during extreme sports, in my case Nordic ski marathons. During the Winter of 2010 as I competed, fellow cross-country ski competitors would take me aside after a race and ask me about the "device" on my head. Most people thought it was a fancy light for night time skiing. I would then show off my "skicam", and explain how I had found this small company out West ...

Fast forward three years, and GoPro is now sold at BestBuy, Amazon, and all over the web. However, I have "skicam envy". The newer GoPro models have sharper lenses, and greater mexapixels. Yet, given the cost to upgrade ($300), I held off.

The wait is over, with the release of GoPro3, I discovered that the new Silver 3 had the same specs as the Hero 2. Better yet, Amazon is offering a $100 discount. Thus, SkiCam Man has upgraded to the Hero2 Outdoor model. This Winter, I will have:

11 megapixel images

1/2 to 60 time lapse photography

Rechargeable battery via USB

One button operation

If you've ever considered taking photos while participating in athletic events, and do not need super high end video, now is the time to buy the older Hero 2 model. The only advantage of the Silver 3 model is it is a bit smaller, and can off load content via wifi, but in terms of the camera ... it's the same! All my old mounts work fine (head, chest, and bike).

Wonder whether my own analysis is correct about the old versus new models? Here is an excerpt from Digital Photography's review of the GoPro lineup:

"The Hero 3 Silver edition, essentially a Hero 2 in the latest smaller body, also gains Protune mode for its HD output - a feature added via firmware to existing Hero 2 models. The latest models also gain Wi-Fi control to allow remote control via the recently-announced App, while the Black Edition includes a waterproof Wi-Fi controller."

Here a few photos from this afternoon's Nordic trail run using my head mount and new GoPro. The conditions weren't perfect for photography (heavy clouds, and all the foliage is down). Click upon any image to maximize and view at full resolution.